Well, it’s worth a try. Here are the qualities that seem to separate us sheep from the innovative goats.”

AN INDESTRUCTIBLE WILL

“True innovators know how to take a punch. When they get knocked down they come back stronger.

No-one better epitomises this thick-skinned obstinacy than James Dyson, one of Britain’s most innovative entrepreneurs.

For years he tried to persuade the world’s biggest manufacturers of household appliances that he’d invented a better, bagless vacuum cleaner. They didn’t want to know.”

Read more at BBC News – The secrets of changing the world.

Some Call it Transparency, Others Another Example of Government Waste

As the midterm election season approaches, new road signs are popping up everywhere – millions of dollars worth of signs touting “The American Reinvestment and Recovery Act” and reminding passers-by that the program is “Putting America Back to Work.”A look at where the stimulus money is going.On the road leading to Dulles Airport outside Washington, DC theres a 10 x 11 road sign touting a runway improvement project funded by the federal stimulus. The project cost nearly $15 million and has created 17 jobs, according to recovery.gov.

via Millions for Road Signs?: Thats Stimulating? – ABC News.

“It’s the ultimate marketing sacrifice.” That’s what world-renown marketing consultants Jack Trout and Al Ries have to say about FOCUS. Over and over, in every book they’ve written, they repeat a mantra that too many people ignore: “Good things happen when you contract, rather than expand your brand or business.”

Anyone who has the word “marketing” anywhere in their title or job description should own every book ever written by either of these two men. You should also require yourself to re-read them every 3 months or so, and give copies to every senior-level person in your organization. You’ll find they’ve put into words every good instinct you’ve ever had about marketing, and have a viable explanation for every failure you’ve ever made.

But back to FOCUS. If the goal of every company is to grow (which it invariably is), then why do Trout and Ries suggest that good things happen when you contract your business? If I had to sum it up in one word, it would be “CONFUSION.”

Let’s consider some examples provided by Al Ries and Laura Ries in their book “The 22 Immutable Laws of Branding.” American Express used to be a premier credit card with the slogan “Membership Has Its Privileges.” It was exclusive, prestigious, the card for people with money. It provided status and respectability. Membership really did have its privileges. In 1988, American Express had a handful of card choices and 27 percent of the market. Then they lost their focus. They wanted to grow, and their CEO decided the best way to do that was to introduce twelve to fifteen new cards each year. We started seeing the Optima Card, the Optima Golf Card, the Optima Rewards Card, the card for students, a card for seniors, cards with airline miles.

American Express lost its focus. They were no longer the card for the wealthy status seeker. They tried to become the card for everyone. In doing so, they created confusion in the mind of the consumer. American Express no longer stands for anything identifiable.

Today, American Express has less than 18% of the market. They introduced a bunch of new cards, lost their focus, created confusion and it cost them 1/3 of their market share.

A company that is focused allows the consumer to easily identify with that company and product. Take Kraft Foods for example. What are they known for? Does any one product come to mind? No. Because they make just about everything. They are a marketing generalist and the companies that are more narrowly focused are beating them at almost everything. Kraft has about 9% of the market in jellies and jams. Smucker’s has 35%. Kraft has 18% of the mayonnaise market. Hellmann’s has 42%. When you try to make your brand mean everything to everyone, you end up meaning nothing to anyone.

So, how do you get a marketing focus? It takes sacrifice. You have to stop trying to be everything to everyone. You have to find a category you can dominate. Federal Express built its success not by providing every type of shipping service available. They focused on overnight packages only. They had to sacrifice a big part of the potential shipping market to do that, but it paid off by making their brand name synonymous with overnight delivery. Domino’s Pizza, Little Caesar’s and Papa John’s all started out selling a wide variety of fast foods, from fish and chips to fried mushrooms. Customers found the selection way too confusing. By sacrificing the potential non-pizza business, each company became more successful.

You’ve got to be the best at one thing. Or, more correctly, be perceived as the best in the minds of your customers. If you only make pizza, you must be an expert at it. If you make pizza and subs and salads and tacos, you won’t be seen as the best at anything.

Your customers must see your name and immediately associate one word or phrase with it. Volvo means safety. Xerox means copiers. Intel means microprocessors. You must narrow your focus down to one, identifiable thing and then own it.

If you are just starting your business, sacrifice some of the sales potential available in trying to sell everything in order to build an identifiable brand name in one thing. Then stick to it. If your business already exists, look at what weak portion of it you might sacrifice in order to narrow your focus and own that portion of the market. These are the things that remove the confusion in the customer’s mind, that allow them to hear the name of your company and know exactly what it means. When you’ve done that, you have built a brand name that, properly maintained, will lead to long-term success.

Sales People Don’t Cold Call

By Jeremy Miller

Cold calling is described in heroic terms: beating a path to the prized customer; crossing the many obstacles and walls of protection to find the elusive buyer; wrangling and competing against the many other sales people pursuing the same prize. After breathless battle and hard work the sales person wins his customer. His cold calling has paid off. He is a hero.

Too bad it doesn’t work that way. Cold calling is an act of frivolity. In today’s market, cold calling is the most ineffective lead generation tool out there. Just look at the numbers and it quickly becomes obvious that cold calling is a “get lucky” strategy. It takes 8.4 dials to reach a person, and 2% of all calls results in a meeting. If 30% of these first meetings convert into opportunities and a sales person closes 25% of these opportunities, he will have to make 1,000 calls to get 1 sale. If he is pounding the phones making 50 cold calls per day, he can get 1 winnable sale every 20 days. At this rate he can acquire 12.5 new customers per year. I am sure you can adjust these numbers to fit your business, but no matter which way you slice it the return on effort is terrible!

An average business-to-business sales professional earns $60,000 per year and up. Why would you pay someone that much money to cold call? It makes far more sense to provide the sales reps with “sales ready” leads. By feeding the sales reps you maximize their time, and focus their efforts to where they truly deliver value in selling: building the business case, helping customers evaluate the options, establishing rapport, negotiating terms and closing the deal.

You can look at the numbers and agree that cold calling does not warrant the time and effort it receives, but what else can you do? Cold calling is so ingrained in sales culture, that sales forces come back to it time and time again if marketing does not deliver the leads. Do not fear – there is a better way.

At any given time, only 3% of your market is ready to buy your services, but at this point your prospects are likely already engaged with you or one of your competitors. If a sales person is engaging an opportunity at this late stage the odds are stacked against her. The RFP has been distributed to several competitors, relationships are well entrenched and decisions are being made. Typically the only option to win the deal at this point is price.

The odds of winning a sale increase dramatically if you are able to engage a prospect much sooner in the sales cycle. By positioning the service well before a company is shopping, you gain a deep competitive advantage. Information on the company, the environment and its business challenges can be acquired. Relationships with key decision makers can be solidified. The service offering and value proposition can be established. By getting in early, you will be the first call when the customer is ready to buy.

Demand creation is a distinct function in the sales force. It sits in between marketing and sales. The demand creation team’s goal is to introduce, engage and nurture the prospects until they are ready to evaluate a solution with a sales person. Demand creation is a process oriented function, and requires a great deal of phone work to be constantly engaging companies in your target market. The calls are not designed to sell, but rather to position your services for when the company is ready to buy them.

Sales forces are implementing demand creation functions for several reasons. The first is sales people do not have time to give both the prospecting and selling the time they each deserve. By separating the functions, the dedicated demand creation resources will increase the quantity and quality of activity happening at the top of the sales funnel. The added supply of leads allows sales people to be more effective, and work on solid opportunities with a high probability of closing. Demand creation is a distinct skill, just as selling is. By assigning the right people to each role, the company can improve sales performance, reduce costs and reduce employee turnover. The other primary reason is employee costs.

A key argument against demand creation is lead squandering. Since the sales reps are not generating their own leads, then they will not value the effort, money and time that went into getting them. This is a valid argument, but one that can be effectively managed with training and metrics. The demand creation team and sales reps must work in tandem, and constantly be tracking their activities and successes. By managing the conversion ratios to move a prospect through the sales funnel, management will have the data and intelligence on what is happening with the leads. Metrics are essential to an effective demand creation strategy.

Lead squandering is also unlikely when sales people are able to work on qualified, “sales ready” leads. A sales ready lead is a prospective customer that is fully engaged and ready to enter the sales process. These are the opportunities great sales people love. If that is all they had to work on every day, their job would be amazing. They could establish rapport, demonstrate options, block competitive threats and acquire the customers. They become far more effective sales people.

Companies who combine lead generation and selling to the sales people are doing themselves a disservice. When sales people are required to cold call to achieve quota, the company faces two distinct issues: a higher cost of sale and higher turnover of sales people. Yet when a company takes a keen interest in feeding its sales people, the opposite happens: increased revenues, improved sales force productivity, and an improved working environment. When sales people are enabled to sell more, it is a great environment to work in – everyone wins.

Jeremy Miller is a Partner with LEAPJob, a sales and marketing recruiting firm in Toronto, Canada. You can reach Jeremy at 905.281.3090, Ext. 22. For more information on LEAPJob please visit http://www.LEAPJob.com.

As the 00′s draw to a close, I’m finding the Twitterverse inundated with chatter on “digital signage.” Often shortened to “DS” or “DOOH” for the awkward catchall “Digital Out-Of-Home” signage, this social media activity stirred the investigator in me.

First off, I’m a hobby futurist/tech geek  and designer. So, the idea of “digital signage” has myriad connotations to me. But, who was in charge of this new vernacular? Who decided that, by virtue of it conveying information, it must include the term “signage.” I was getting the vibe that the term was being hijacked. But, by whom?

Imagine if the business card printers wanted to, now, be called “Pocket Signage” manufacturers? Imagine if the tattoo artists’ thought there was more profit in marketing themselves as “Epidermal Signage?” Now, imagine if software and hardware manufacturers decided they wanted to bundle their products and services as “Digital Signage.”

That’s what is happening. Digital is trying to be “signage.” Signage isn’t trying to be digital.

If the timely value of a digital sign’s impact isn’t leveraged immediately into a call to action at the Point-Of-Purchase, its value diminishes until its nothing more than clutter near your cash register. If you’re just going for clutter, you don’t have to go digital.

That’s not to say that digital signage doesn’t have an important role to play in future society. Quite the opposite, in fact. In a broad sense, signage that utilizes advanced digital technology will be the primary growth area of the traditional sign industry, both in production processes and installed hardware. But, perhaps, not in the way you’ve been led to believe.

Here are the repelling forces, and attracting powers, for the “Digital Signage” industry moving into 2010… (reverse order – so I can end on a high note).

#3 The Ugly:

You have seem them. The ugly, black-plastic boxes mounted randomly along a hallway, or protruding from a pipe in the ceiling. Sometimes, they even sit on the counter, blocking the view of the human retailer on the other side.

In the mad rush to get retailers to sign agreements and test their networked advertising model, many DOOH firms are failing to integrate the screens with any degree of elegance or integrity. Without targeted, reactive signage, these ugly boxes are just cluttering up the environment. And, what kind of reactive signage would you incorporate in the toilet room anyway? You can make up your own punchline.

Now, stop. Before you accept my clutter argument, consider that clutter = prosperity in many cultures….

Is that the direction you want to go? If so, could we, perhaps, plan things a little better? Integrate complete ideas from the beginning. Stop sticking plastic ad-boxes in the environment without considering the primary purpose of that space.

Integration requires planning. Planning requires vision. I’m not convinced many in the DOOH industry have vision, when it comes to integrating their screens into the existing spaces. What some firms are doing is equivalent to local rock bands putting fliers on windshields and bumper stickers on utility poles.

The New Rules for DS 2010: Digital Signage should be:

1. Adaptive – Dynamically adapts to meet the needs of the environment and the people (directional signs, emergency signs).
2. Reactive – Recognizes people through customer engagement devices (cards, tags) and targets ads specifically to individuals, by name.
3. Distractive – Targets captive, mass populations (waiting areas, public transportation) with traditional network-based advertising.

Its time for architectural and electric sign companies to engage the “signage” newbies in the art of implementation. Otherwise, our digital brethren will soil the good name of signmakers everywhere. Hah. Wait. What do you mean “Signmakers don’t have a very good name?” I digress.

Electric sign companies are especially skilled at building structures designed to house electrical components (like screens), in all types of environments -indoor and out.

With the convergence of huge LED electronic message centers (EMCs) into the interactive “digital” space, electric sign companies, again, have the skills and resources to implement screens in a much more intuitive and effective manner. Part of that includes working with designers, engineers and architects in the first stages of project development.

Sometimes, the environment is the signage. More and more often, the environment is digital. We can’t stop convergence, but we can make it more integrated with just a little forethought. Don’t accept ugly.

#2 The Bad

Like any fast-growing industry, digital signage has a problem with standards. Not only are there input issues with regards to media formatting, there are output problems as well. The industry still lacks a create-once, publish-everywhere graphic standard. Likewise, there are a lot of companies trying to make the “best” standard and monopolize the industry.

Meanwhile, we get progressively cheaper flat-screens cluttering open space with messages like this …

These messages are the hardest ones to get rid of. Why? Because they are cause by human error.

The people who design software for novices would do well to recall Douglas Adams’ quote: “A common mistake that people make when trying to design something completely foolproof is to underestimate the ingenuity of complete fools.”

How many times have you seen an error message like this on a microwave or an alarm clock? How about on traditional architectural signage, or even on massive EMCs? It just doesn’t happen. Its unacceptable.

And, since “digital signage” companies are putting these screens into the hands of amateurs, it begs to reason that those same firms are responsible for training the end user and, moreover, preventing the embarrassing photos like the one above… I found easily on Flickr! At least we can see who didn’t train their customer. The logo is right on the screen. It may as well say “Hey, look at us! Our products don’t work!!” Security and hacking aside, there is a public liability to what is being shown on your screens. This is just bad. Here’s an idea: If the software experiences problems, have the screen shut itself off and disappear.

#1 The Good

As much as I like to research the pros and cons of different topics, I wouldn’t waste the time writing about something if the positives didn’t ultimately outweigh the negatives. And, to be honest, the things I’ve mentioned are just growing pains of a remarkable new field of advertising that deserves a better name… than “digital signage.” Just sayin’…

For those who haven’t looked at recent digital signage screens, even something as simple as nice resolution, synchronized screens and thoughtful creative makes for quite the mesmerizing display, as you can see here.

But, so what? We’ve had TVs in the retail space for years. We’ve had VCRs and DVDs looping customized content in the retail space for years. SOoooo… the hardware isn’t revolutionary. Neither is customized video advertising. So, what is the attraction? Why the hype?

In a single word: “Potential.”

As the hardware and software companies get their collective acts together, traditional advertising agencies will also converge into the digital signage space. When that happens, and when meaningful, objective advertising metrics are established we will finally be able to quantify the expense of Digital Signage.

Quantifying the expense of deploying targeted, dynamic advertising will knock many current players out of the game. Why? Because they won’t be able to rationalize their own existence in the work-flow.

However, fewer companies trying to hijack existing open-standards is a good thing. More companies adopting and improving common software standards will allow the industry to focus on progress in the areas mentioned above… technologically-advanced signs that adapt, react or distract.

Despite the issues with software compatibility many DS companies have made great strides in providing high-quality digital graphics on commercially-durable screens. While the measurement technique is different, many screens are capable of producing text and graphics with the same visual clarity as printed vinyl.

Some of the best examples of effective digital signage can be found at your local movie theater. From the satellite-controlled electronic message centers displaying show times, to the the animated menus at the concession stand and even the on-screen messaging inside the screening room movie – theaters are starting to get the picture … (pun somewhat intended).

There was a time not long ago when theaters would show static ads from local small businesses on the screen before the movie started. Apparently someone finally realized “Wait a second… if the moviegoer actually patronizes one of the restaurants or theme parks advertising on our screens, they will have less money to come back to the theater!”

Now, in the smarter theaters, they only advertise things that can be bought there – at the point-of-purchase. Good thinking.

Is 2010 going to be the year in which my TV remote can detect my thumbprint and eliminate feminine hygiene commercials from my daily viewing? Sadly, no.

Is it going to be the year the menu board at the movie theater concession stand recognizes me by the RFID strip on my customer loyalty card and offers me special prices on future movies I might like, and upgraded popcorn/soda combos? Maybe.

So, while we are a couple years away from “Minority Report” style signage, there are many encouraging signs that digital signage will live up to some of the hype once we kick the 00′s to the curb. For 2010, let’s work harder to eliminate the ugly and the bad while we wait for the good to catch up.  ~JL

“One key difference may be a shift in the balance between unconscious mirroring of another person’s actions and expressions and conscious attempts to grasp the other’s motives. This may lead to a decoupling from the other, a kind of separation within the interaction, as activity diminishes in areas that mirror experiences, while higher-order, cognitive frontal functions kick in.”

via How our brains build social worlds – opinion – 02 December 2009 – New Scientist.

via Holiday Inn ‘Green’ Signage Yields $4.4M Savings Annually · Environmental Leader · Green Business, Sustainable Business, and Green Strategy News for Corporate Sustainability Executives.

• Retail, hospitality and grocery companies will demand better interplay with customers through their signage networks
• Special consumer offers triggered by external events – such as weather changes – will help drive sales.

via Research identifies Customer Interaction as key trend for Digital Signage in 2010.

Ontario, Canada – 01 December, 2009 – Research from Capital Networks Limited (CNL), a leading global provider of broadcasting and dynamic digital signage software, identifies ‘Customer Interaction’ as the key driver for the digital signage industry in 2010. Companies across a range of industries, including retail, hospitality and grocery, will look at ways to engage dynamically with their customers, to boost sales and customer loyalty. With the average person exposed to thousands of marketing messages a day, only the most engaging content will break through the clutter. To be effective, digital signage must be able to deliver hyper-targeted, dynamic messaging to a specific audience. In the coming year, businesses will explore smarter ways to use their signage networks.

Software currently enables companies to schedule or pre-program their digital signage content to interact with any set of data, target audience or environment. Content can be programmed using simple codes, then triggered to play by real-time automated data feeds, such as local weather conditions, essentially delivering the message most relevant to the current environment of the screen. Through this type of ‘Dynamic Screen Scheduling’, retailers, restaurants and supermarkets can interact with customers in real-time to increase sales, boost footfall and encourage customer loyalty.
 
“Reports suggest that the US economy is beginning to turn a corner, yet it remains unclear whether consumers will resume spending or remain cautious with their money,” commented Jim Vair, Vice President of Business Development at Capital Networks Limited. “Companies that we work with are looking ahead to 2010 and identifying ways to ensure customers – old and new – feel they are getting the best value for money. And to do this, they want to interact with their customers, in real-time. Interactive digital signage is the only advertising mechanism that enables companies to immediately promote cost-saving offers when they most appeal to consumers.”

Smart digital signage in action – just some of the ways it can work:

Retailers – Coupons, Vouchers and ‘One-Day Sales’ are very effective ways of increasing profit, however they have to be organized and advertised days or weeks in advance, which can be time-consuming and costly. By utilizing ‘Dynamic Screen Scheduling’ shops can program content to interact with current data. For example, if the current conditions are rainy, consumers coming in from the rain or about to go back outside will see content promoting umbrellas, rain hats, etc but if the weather is bright sunshine, content will automatically switch to promote sunglasses, sunscreen, etc.

Sports Bars/Pubs – Establishments showing live sports events can have their signage pre-programmed to offer promotions when the score of a game changes. For example, every time the home team scores, adverts automatically pop up promoting half price nachos for the next ten minutes. Customers will already have their full attention directed at the screens and such offers can encourage long-term customer loyalty, which is just as important as attracting new customers.

Supermarket Wine Boutiques – Interactive applications are very popular with consumers. Touch screen applications are now available that allow shoppers to press a button indicating what they are planning to have for dinner that evening and the signage would display suggested wine pairings based on the store’s current inventory.

This finding is based on survey data gathered from 520 business organizations in 17 countries, many of them emerging markets. We were testing the hypothesis that if a CEO’s primary focus is on profit maximization, employees develop negative feelings toward the organization. They tend to perceive the CEO as autocratic and focused on the short term, and they report being somewhat less willing to sacrifice for the company. Corporate performance is poorer as a result.

But when the CEO makes it a priority to balance the concerns of customers, employees, and the community while also taking environmental impact into account, employees perceive him or her as visionary and participatory. They report being more willing to exert extra effort, and corporate results improve.

This research, which was conducted with Mary Sully de Luque, of Thunderbird School of Global Management; David A. Waldman, of Arizona State University West; and Robert J. House, of the University of Pennsylvania, underscores the risk of single-mindedly pursuing profit.

Copyright © 2009 Harvard Business School Publishing Corporation. All rights reserved.

via Why Profit Shouldn’t Be Your Top Goal – HBR.org.